“A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.” (Proverbs 11:25 CSB)
Devotional
Most of us give from what’s left over, not from what we actually have. It’s easier that way. We wait until the budget has room, until the schedule has space, until we feel like we can afford it without it costing us anything real. Generosity on our own terms, which usually means not much generosity at all.
This proverb pushes against that instinct. A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. That’s not a formula for getting rich by giving, Solomon isn’t running a transaction here. It’s a description of how God built things to work. Generosity isn’t a leak in your resources. It’s participation in something that circulates, that comes back around, that God himself sustains.
I think the fear underneath most of our tight fisted moments is scarcity, the quiet belief that if I give this away I won’t have enough left for myself. That fear makes sense in a world that runs on limited resources. But this verse is describing a different economy, one where God is actually the source, and giving doesn’t drain it, it opens us up to more of how he provides.
This doesn’t mean giving away everything recklessly or ignoring wisdom. It means noticing where we’re holding back out of fear rather than genuine limitation, and asking what it would look like to loosen our grip a little. The drink of water someone gives away doesn’t leave them thirstier. According to this proverb, it’s the opposite.
Reflection
I notice how often I calculate before I give, checking what I’ll have left instead of what someone actually needs. This verse challenges the scarcity thinking I default to more than I’d like to admit. I want to find one place this week to give generously instead of cautiously and trust God with what that costs me.
Prayer
Father, thank you for building generosity into how your kingdom actually works instead of leaving us to hoard out of fear. We confess we often calculate before we give instead of trusting you to provide. Show us this week where we’re holding back out of scarcity rather than wisdom, and give us the freedom to be generous anyway. We believe you take care of what we release for others.